1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of composite structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Many systems require signals or power, such as electrical, optical, or fluid signals or power, to be routed from one point to another point. Electrical signals and power are conventionally transmitted over wires or other such electrical conductors. Optical signals and power are conventionally propagated along optical fibers, optical waveguides, or the like. Fluid signals and power are conventionally transmitted through pipes, tubes, or other conduits. Electrical conductors, optical fibers or waveguides, and fluid conductors are often bundled into cables or “harnesses.”
Considerable effort and expense is expended, in many cases, to attach such cables to adjacent structural components. In some systems, such as aircraft or other vehicles, considerable effort and expense is also expended to route the cables or harnesses around structural and other components of the system. Moreover, cables and harnesses can significantly contribute to the overall weight of a system, which is of great importance in aircraft systems.
Some efforts have attempted to address these issues, particularly in the aircraft and other vehicle arts. Vehicles, and aircraft in particular, often include “sandwich” or “solid laminate” panels made from composite materials, such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, or the like disposed in a polymeric matrix. Sandwich panels typically include a core adhesively bonded between face sheets or “skins.” Sandwich panel face sheets and solid laminate panels typically include a plurality of adhesively bonded layers or plies of composite material.
Electrical and optical conductors have been embedded in sandwich panel face sheets or “skins” and in solid laminate panels. A sandwich structure, however, typically has thin face sheets or skins. The thickness of the skins is principally determined by the structural requirements of the sandwich structure. Embedding conductors in the face sheets or skins often increases the thickness of the face sheets or skins to unacceptable levels. For example, thick skins are heavier than thinner skins. Moreover, thick skins may interfere with other structure and systems near the skins.
There are many ways of routing conductors well known in the art; however, considerable room for improvement remains.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.